Chapter 29

Nom and Pon are at the Nurses’ Station with a fruit basket, inquiring the room where Sun is. Tas and Gan are at a distance with a gift of their own, but they have a reason for not being with the other two.

“What’s wrong with them cookie bunch?” asked Pon. Nom and he waited for them at the lobby of the hospital earlier, only to see them bickering when they arrived.

Before answering Pon, Nom looks at Tas and Gan. His classmate is obviously trying to explain something to Gan, who, on the other hand, has his back turned on his boyfriend. “Maybe they're at it again,” said Nom, shaking his head as he faces back at the table.

“Again?” asked Pon.

“Tas told me that they frequently have some sort of misunderstanding.”

“About what?”

“Mister Pitchitara is at Room 702, khun,” said the nurse to Nom, disrupting Pon’s question.

“Khob khun krap,” answered Nom. “Gan has a serious jealousy issue, cupcake,” he replied to his cupcake next. After which, they turn and go towards the couple they are talking about.

“Good grief! Doesn’t Gan trust his boyfriend?” said Pon in disappointment.

“Sometimes, cupcake, Tas would call me just to ask for my advice on how to get about with their relationship.”

“Poor P’Tas. What is Gan jealous about now?”

“Tas said Gan started acting up today after they went to buy flowers for Sun: Gan saw the florist smile and stare at Tas.”

“I can’t believe him.”

“So do I, cupcake. I know that Tas is his first relationship, but that is not an excuse to get jealous over petty things,” said Nom. They stop before reaching Tas and Gan as Nom’s phone lets out a beep. It is a message from Mochi, who is on his way to visit Sun too. He tells Nom to go on ahead, and he will just meet them in Sun’s room. Nom answers back with the room number from the nurse.

Tas wants to hold Gan’s hand, but Gan moves it away. This irks Nom so much. Although Tas and he sometimes irritate each other, Nom still doesn’t want to see his friend be sad because of something that even a bunch of 5-year-olds can fix by themselves.

“Room 702. Let’s go,” Nom said to the two, who are by the elevator.

“Where’s Mochi?” asked Tas. Pon presses the up arrow in the panel.

“He’s on his way, but he told me we can go ahead and not to wait for him.”

Tas nods. When the elevator door opens, Tas attempts again to take Gan’s hand, which the other swats away. Inside the elevator, Tas continues to implore Gan to settle their rift soon, which is primarily because they own the carriage for the time being. However, some doctors enter the elevator at the sixth floor, prompting Tas to stop.

“If you continue arguing inside, I swear I will drag you both out,” said Nom after they get off the elevator and stopping at the side of the corridor, looking at Tas first. “Are we clear?” he continued, this time looking at Gan.

Inside his room, Sun is standing by the window. In front of him, at a distance, are his Aunt Mika, Uncle Jek, and Nana Bea, all seated around a mechanized hospital bed.

He approaches to see who the others are looking at and nearly freezes when he sees himself at the bed with a thick bandage in his head and a ventilator hose inside the mouth. A thin twin-hose is in his nose to probably assist him further in getting sufficient oxygen. Attached on his right elbow, atop the joint, is a syringe for the dextrose and intravenous medications.

He steps forward to hold his Aunt Mika, but his hand just passes right through her.

“What is happening? Why can’t I touch her?” he asked. He tries to do the same to his Uncle Jek and Nana Bea, but the results are the same. Next thing he tries is call them out to see if they can hear him, but none turn a head towards him.

“Am I dead? What is this?” he asked himself again. He looks around the room, confused in trying to figure out what to do next. Then, he sees at the door a manly figure wearing a black robe. Its head is covered with a red hood that drapes long enough to completely conceal the face. One of its pallid hands is holding a torch with a weak fire in it. The other hand is outstretched towards Sun as if inviting him to come.

“Who are you?” Sun asked the figure in a loud voice.

“I’m a Psychopomp, one of the spirits from The Underworld. Come with me Dauwan.”

“What do you want? What is happening to me?”

“Come with me Dauwan,” the Psychopomp reiterated. “If you stay any further you will be branded as a Wayward Soul,” it continued.

“Answer me first, then I’ll do what you say.”

“Come with me Dauwan, or you will be branded as a Wayward Soul.”

“A soul? But…but, I’m still alive. My body is still breathing. Look," replied Sun, pointing to his body on the bed.

“Come with me and someone will have the answers you seek.”

“What about my body? What will happen to it?”

“It is imperative you come with me as soon as possible Dauwan.”

He walks towards the spirit to reach for its hand. Upon touching the Psychopomp, the background ripples into distortion, and everything turns black. Afterwards, they find themselves standing outside a cave. The torch in the hand of the Psychopomp blazes into life, illuminating the dark surroundings.

“Where are we?” asked Sun.

“This cave leads us to the Gate Of Shades, your destination, and one of the four entrances to The Underworld.”

“What other gates are there?”

Sun did not get a response, and they start walking inside the cave.

“What is your name?” asked Sun to his guide. He thinks, at least, that it will answer to such a simple query. However, the Psychopomp is silent, and its hold on Sun’s hand never waned. To Sun, it feels like, instead of a hand, it is a cold vise gripping him.

They traverse the cave, and understandably, the paths after the entrance are relatively easy. As they reach deeper inside, with the light from the entrance slowly dimming, the complexity of its interior begins to unravel.

“Do not let go of my hold, Dauwan. It will be a maze after that upcoming corner,” warned the Psychopomp. Sun wants to ask his guide what will happen if he lets go, but he just keeps quiet and obeys.

Indeed, the Psychopomp is not bluffing. Sun sees his guide slides into crevices that may not be obvious at first look, yet the spirit is able to detect them easily. As they go along further, Sun becomes horrified when he sees other souls wandering aimlessly, wailing as they do. The souls follow them to wherever they go. Some of them try to touch the Psychopomp, but they were unable to touch it. Sun surmises that they are being followed because of the light from the Psychopomp’s torch, and that the lost souls also seek the place where they are going.

“Uhm…Mister Psychopomp. We are being followed. A lot of them are behind us,” Sun told his guide.

“Let them trail us.”

“What? Why? They might beat us to where we are going.”

“Just let them follow. You’ll see.”

After getting through the last few paths, Sun sees a clear and wide aisleway lined with columns on both sides, and at the end of it is a pentagon-shaped hole emitting a crimson red color. In between is a closed ornate gate engulfed in black flames. To his surprise, the gate is not crumbling or getting destroyed in any way.

“How do we get in?” asked Sun, but he gets no answer again from his guide. The torch in its hand retains its blaze.

They continue walking as the multitude of the souls follow them. Sun feels confused because they are nearing the gate with no one to open it for them. This makes him think if his guide is strong enough to open the great gate while holding him, his torch, and at the same time, be able to keep the other souls following them at bay.

“Again, don’t let go of my hold, Dauwan,” the Psychopomp said. Sun obeys without question.

Curious, and excited at the same time to see what will happen next, Sun walks along calmly yet alertly with his guide. The Psychopomp, to Sun’s amazement, walks on, passing through the fiery gate with him, and from where they do, that portion of the gate turns into mist as if it is allowing them to cross. When they’re both in, the gate reforms itself, becoming as sturdy as it was before. The Psychopomp stops, and so does Sun. They both look to the souls to see if they can cross the gate. However, the calm black flames – Hellfire – on the gate erupt when the souls get close to it, making a vertical inferno and preventing them from coming to it further because of the intense heat. When they had backed away from the gate, the Hellfire returned to normal.

“That is what happens when you let go of your Psychopomp: it will disappear, and with no one to guide you, you will get lost in the cave that leads to the Gates. Once you are lost, you will be so forever, as you will be unable to get the aid of other Psychopomps. That is why I keep telling you not to let go of my hold,” explained Sun’s guide. “Let us proceed, Dauwan. We are nearly at the entrance,” it continued. For the first time since at the hospital, the Psychopomp lets go of Sun’s arm.

They walk the few remaining stretch of path into the pentagonal doorway.

“Welcome to The Underworld, Dauwan,” greeted the Psychopomp, moving aside, while stretching his free hand to invite Sun inside and past the entrance.